When I read AT&T CEO John Stankey’s memo about shifting to a “more market-based culture” and doubling down on a 5-day in-office mandate, I had a strong (and very human) reaction:

If mental health really mattered, this transition would have been handled with care, not control.
If collaboration was truly the goal, it wouldn’t feel so much like micromanagement.
If the future of work was truly the priority, this memo would sound very different.

As a wellness strategist and leadership coach, I work with companies every day who are trying to get this right. They’re balancing productivity with well-being. They’re evolving culture without steamrolling it. They’re listening to their people, not just lecturing them.

Unfortunately, AT&T’s memo missed that mark. But they’re not alone and it raises a bigger question:
Do return-to-office (RTO) mandates actually work?

Let’s Talk Data, Not Just Directives

Despite a surge in RTO policies post-pandemic, the results have been far from what many leaders expected:

• Only 27% of companies have moved to a full in-person model, while 67% continue offering hybrid. Full RTO is the exception, not the norm.

• Companies that enforced strict RTO saw a 14% increase in turnover, according to 2024 studies.

• Recruiters report a spike in job applications from employees seeking to escape rigid in-office policies.

• Stanford economists found that moving from 3 to 5 in-office days resulted in no productivity gains, but significantly lower satisfaction.

• The 2025 Retention Report revealed that 12% of turnover is now driven by health and family concerns, not ambition or disengagement.

• And perhaps most importantly: McKinsey reports that managerial behavior and team culture matter more than where people work.

The message is clear: flexibility is not the enemy of performance — it’s a path to it.

Culture Change Doesn’t Have to Feel Like a Threat

There’s nothing wrong with evolving your business strategy. I agree that companies need to grow, adapt, and sometimes disrupt themselves to stay relevant. But here’s the thing:

You don’t have to treat your people like obstacles to that change.

You can:

• Prioritize psychological safety alongside productivity

• Ease transitions instead of forcing ultimatums

• Recognize that loyalty and performance often look like flexibility, not proximity

What we’re seeing right now isn’t resistance to work. It’s resistance to being dismissed, disconnected, and devalued.

A Better Way Forward

Leaders, you can build a high-performing, future-ready culture without burning bridges with your best people.

It starts with:

• Listening with empathy

• Implementing change with intention

• Supporting well-being as a core business strategy, not a checkbox

• Understanding that where work gets done is less important than how people feel while doing it

We don’t need to return to the office.
We need to return to humane leadership.

If you’re navigating this shift in your organization and want a healthier, more productive path forward, I’d love to talk.

Let’s build cultures that work for people, not just policies.